THE WESTERN Bulldogs hold an imposing record against Richmond in recent years, but assistant coach Wayne Campbell says the Tigers are riding a wave of confidence going into Sunday's clash.

Richmond has managed just one draw from its past eight encounters with the Dogs, but a three-game winning run that culminated in a stirring 49-point victory against Fremantle has the Tigers primed to set about correcting that lopsided ledger.

"We've certainly got some confidence out of the last couple of weeks," Campbell said from the ME Bank Centre at Punt Road on Thursday.

"We played some reasonable footy in the first three or four weeks, but didn't get the results. In the last three weeks it has gone our way, but we're going up against a side that's played in three prelims in a row and we finished 15th [last year] so it's certainly a huge game this weekend.

"Certainly you need some positive feeling from what you're doing in training, putting into place in a game and then getting some confirmation against a really good side in Freo when you win the game.

"It becomes a little bit self-fulfilling and we hope that happens against this Sunday."

The Tigers included Jeromey Webberley, Mitch Farmer and Brad Helbig in their 25-man squad on Thursday, with the Bulldogs missing key players Brian Lake, Shaun Higgins and Barry Hall through injury.

Rodney Eade's team has struggled in 2011 after playing off against St Kilda in last season's preliminary final, but Campbell believes the Dogs aren't far off their best form.

Richmond's onball brigade has been a key factor in the team's recent resurgence and Campbell says a confrontation with a midfield unit containing hardened veterans like Adam Cooney, Matthew Boyd and Ryan Griffen will test his young stars.

"We're a young and up and coming midfield against a midfield that has been together for a long period of time, so it will be a really good contest," he said.

"It's always won and lost with winning the contested footy and that's something the Bulldogs have prided themselves on for a period of time.

Richmond believe the confidence gained from their runaway AFL win over Fremantle will help as they seek their first victory over the Western Bulldogs in six years.

Form suggests the Tigers have a big chance, entering Sunday's Etihad Stadium clash on a three-match winning streak.

The Bulldogs have had three straight losses and are struggling with injury and fitness problems in defence.

But Richmond assistant coach Wayne Campbell said there would be no underestimating an opponent which had handed them seven beatings, most by big margins, mixed with one draw, since the Tigers last downed them in early 2005.

"The last three weeks it's gone our way, but we're coming up against a side that's played three (preliminary finals) in a row and we've finished 15th or 16th, so it's certainly a huge game," Campbell said.

But he acknowledged the Tigers would take plenty of belief from their 49-point win over the Dockers, when they kicked 23.10 (148), their biggest score since 2008.

"Certainly you need some positive feeling from what you're doing at training and then you're putting that in place in a game," Campbell said.

"You get some confirmation against a really good side in Freo when you win the game, so it becomes a little bit self fulfilling. We hope that happens again this Sunday."

The spread of 10 goal-kickers particularly delighted the Tigers, with Robin Nahas starring with 30 touches and four goals in a career-best game, while young tall forward Ty Vickery's three majors was a career high.

Campbell said Nahas was reaping the benefits of a hard-working summer of training.

"The penny dropped with him over the pre-season that he had one more year to establish himself as an AFL footballer. He worked as hard as he's ever worked in his life," he said.

Vickery could benefit on Sunday from a spate of injuries which have robbed the Dogs of height in defence.